Southgate’s violent watch robber jailed

Nizar Msaad and his associate used a moped to target people in the West End for their expensive watches

A Southgate man and his accomplice have been jailed for more than three years after admitting two counts of robbery and three counts of attempted robbery.

Nizar Msaad, 22, of Dalrymple Close, and Shaquille Allen, 26, of no fixed address, were sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court to 40 months in prison.

Msaad and Allen used a moped to target members of the public for their expensive watches in and around various parts of the West End.

In the first incident in Audley Street, Mayfair, a man was approached by two men on a moped. The victim was knocked to the ground and threatened with a machete in an attempt to steal his watch.

A member of staff from a nearby pub intervened and the two men fled on the moped; the man who was attacked was not injured but left before police arrived.

Four other victims came forward and reported being robbed or subjected to an attempted robbery. All incidents occurred on Saturday, October 1, 2022, in area W1.

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An investigation was launched by detectives from Operation Venice, the Met’s specialist team targeting moped murders. They spent hours watching CCTV to track the suspects and followed the suspect’s trail through the streets of London.

CCTV footage showed the two suspects on a moped wielding machetes as well as punching, kicking and running over their victims in a two-hour killing spree.

They eventually managed to obtain CCTV which showed the thieves removing their helmets, meaning officers were able to identify them.

They were also able to track CCTV to locate the bike the pair had used and when it was recovered they found DNA linking the bike to Msaad and Allen.

Detective Constable Mike Bagnall from Operation Venice said: “There were violent attacks on innocent people in the middle of the street in central London. It was only fortunate that no one was seriously injured during these reckless crimes.

“The investigation was thorough and detailed and we were able to track down Msaad and Allen and build an overwhelming case against them. These were violent robberies and I am pleased that our determination to find those responsible has allowed us to get both men off the streets.”

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